The Labour leadership has brushed aside internal reservations about its emerging alliance with Fine Gael after the senior TD, Mr Brendan Howlin, said such links had damaged the party in the past.
The party's official spokesman said it was well-known that Mr Howlin was among those who favoured an independent stance in advance of the next election.
However, he said a majority in the party supported the decision of the Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, to enter the "Mullingar Accord" with Fine Gael.
"There are people who take a different view. But even people who don't agree on that acknowledge that he [ Mr Rabbitte] has a mandate," he said.
The spokesman was speaking after Mr Howlin distanced himself by saying Labour should not exclude involvement with any other party in advance of an election.
"I have the analysis over a long period of time that the best option for Labour is not to exclude options, but to present an independent position as a radical party," Mr Howlin said.
"We should simply present ourselves as a stand-alone independent party, excluding nobody." Such arrangements "allowed Fine Gael to present itself as the dominant force in the past, to our detriment".
The party spokesman made little of Mr Howlin's apparent defiance of the party line. "That's Brendan's view and he's entitled to that. Brendan has expressed these views before. He's being entirely consistent."
He said the Labour's strategy of forging a pre-election alliance with Fine Gael was settled party policy and had been endorsed by its TDs, Senators and national executive. "The general consensus is in support of Pat's position."
However, he acknowledged that some people had the same view as Mr Howlin while others believed Labour should wait longer before preparing an alliance with Fine Gael and possibly, the Greens.
